The Red String
by foxglove1989
Summary: Serena has been dumped by Darien for the last time. Will the princess of the moon be able to find solace in one the arms of her protector?
1. Chapter 1

The Red String

Despair and the String

Serena sighed as she just poked at it, her heart heavy. Not only had Darien broken up with her (again) but there was no chance of getting back together this time. Darien had found this…this…this home wrecking whore in America when he had taken his trip to America a year and a half ago. He had been cheating on her for so long and heart hurt.

"Serena…you haven't eaten your food for almost two weeks. Sweetie, won't you try just a bite?. Just one bite for Mama?" Serena looked to her mother who looked so sad and filled with fear then to her food. Sighing Serena took a couples bites of rice and a few of her tempura. After that, she pushed her plate away, trying not to offend her mother, but she just wasn't hungry.

"May I be excused, Mama? I don't feel well." Serena asked without even looking at her mother. When her mother said yes, Serena got up and slowly walked to her room. There, she looked at the time. Three-thirty. Well, she didn't really want to be awake and nothing seemed fun, so she sighed and went to her closet, changing into pajamas. Serena undid her hair, letting it fall freely, and she got under the covers on her bed, closing her eyes. It was summer break, so she could basically sleep whenever the hell she wanted. Three-thirty in the afternoon seemed like a good time.

Just as Serena was about to fall asleep, she heard a knocking on the door. Maybe if she ignored it well enough, the person would just go away. She was in no mood to interact with people, she hadn't for the last few weeks.

"Hey, Serena, it's Lita. I'm coming in." And so the Amazon like woman did come in carrying two bags in her hand. When she saw her friend in bed, she sighed. Putting the bags down, she walked over and sat on the edge of the bed. Reaching out, Lita began to pet her princess' hair, knowing it was soothing to the blonde.

"You know, he wasn't worth it.." Lita started as Serena sat bolt up, tears welling in her eyes and she looked like she could kill.

"Not worth it?! He was my prince, my love, my life! Everything I did, I did for him! And now he's gone…and I'm still here…" The tears that had been in Serena's eyes were now pouring down her cheeks. Lita felt so bad that her dearest moon princess was hurt so much.

"He was a pedophile! He's, what, twenty-two or twenty-three now? You're not even sixteen, not for another couple of days!" Lita reached out and pulled Serena into her lap, holding her close. Once in Lita's lap, Serena burst into sobs, clinging to Lita's shirt as if it could take all the pain away. Lita closed her eyes and held the other tighter. Darien was in America now, so he wouldn't be able to be around to hurt Serena with his new girlfriend.

Looking to the bedside table, Lita noticed a picture of Serena and Darien who both looked happy. With a little stealth, Lita reached over and grabbed the picture frame, sliding it to the ground and kicked it under the bed. Giving her attention back to Serena, Lita smiled a bit and gently shook the smaller, causing Serena to stop crying and look at Lita.

"I brought you some treats, Serena. I remembered all your favs!" Putting Serena back on the bed, Lita walked to the bags, picked them up, and went back to the bed, pouring both bags onto the bed's surface. "Milk chocolate, gummy bears, pocky, strawberry biscuits, yokan, cookies. All for you!" Lita watched Serena for a reaction, any kind of reaction. Lita had been worried sick about Serena, and her family was worried too. Serena's mother had called her, asking for help. It had to be bad if Serena's mother called her, so Lita had agreed to come over for a few days and try to help.

Serena looked at the treats then to a container with a bow on it. She reached out and grabbed it. Removing the bow, she opened the metal tin and blinked. There were an assortment of her favorite homemade treats that she knew Lita had made. All for her? Serena looked up to Lita who held a note of worry in her eyes despite the smile on her face.

"You did all of this, got me all of these snacks, even made some of my favorite food…all for…me?" Serena looked confused. Why would Lita do all of this just for her? The rest of her friends were busy. Ami had taken up a summer program at the hospital, Rei was watching the temple and training her skills, and Mina had taken up acting classes. What of Lita, though? Was she stuck playing babysitter because everyone else was busy? "Why?"

"Yes. I did all of this for you and not because I had to, but I wanted to. Look, right now there's no enemies around right now for us to fight and if that can't keep you busy, you'll just mope around over some guy who doesn't deserve you. Besides," Lita blushed slightly as she locked eyes with her moon princess. "I can't imagine a better thing to do then spend time with my princess."

It was Serena's turn to blush at those words. Even Darien had never said that. Thinking for a moment or two, Serena had to really wonder when was the last time he had said something to make her feel loved or wanted? When had been the last time they had kissed or held onto one another? She couldn't remember, yet Lita had just said something that made her feel…special.

"Come on, Serena, try the cake buns. I made them with a special filling just for you~" Lita had been baking all day for Serena knowing the girl liked junk food, and had come up with something special for the other. She wouldn't make them for anyone but her princess from now on. Watching Serena take a bite of the pink cake bun and seeing her perk up, Lita relaxed and watched Serena shove the whole thing in her mouth.

"Take it easy, Serena, or you'll choke!" Lita reached into the pile of food that was on the bed and pulled out a soda. Opening it, she held it out to the other who took it and guzzled it down. After that, Serena let out a sigh of relief and looked at her friend. For the first time in weeks, Serena smiled. Not one of her fake ones, Lita could always tell when Serena faked a smile, this one was real and only for her.

"Want to hear a story my mom told me when I was a child. It's about love and I think that you need to hear it." Lita said and watched as Serena nodded her head, though there was a look of reluctance in her friends eyes which just made Lita chuckle.

"Each person is born with a red string attached to their left ring finger. This string attached two people together, their destinies forever intertwined. When we're young and we have crushes, the string tightens a bit, reminding us that there is someone else waiting for us. When we lose that crush or someone we think is the one for us, for one reason or another, the string tightens more, getting shorter, pulling us closer together. When we finally meet that person we're dedicated to, the one who is attached to the other end of our string, they get together. Sometimes it is a rough start, sometimes a person ends up with the wrong one and their string is always trying to pull the one on the other end closer to their mate. But when the right people find one another and they get married, they get a ring. When the ring is placed over the string, the two are bound forever."

Lita had been smiling, but that fell as she saw Serena's eyes filled with tears as she stared at her left ring finger. She couldn't see the rtring. With all the magic she had, with all her skills and powers, she couldn't see the string. Looking up to Lita, Serena sniffled.

"Where's my string?" She whispered as tears slid down her cheeks. Reaching out, Lita tried to wipe the tears away as quickly as she could and could almost read Serena's mind.

"You can only see it when you find the person you truly love, Serena. Until then, it stays hidden. If you could see it all the time, you wouldn't get to experience life like you should, you know? Want to know a secret?" Serena nodded and Lita grinned, leaning to whisper softly. "I can see my string right now."

This surprised Serena and she grabbed Lita's left hand, searching for it, causing Lita to laugh. Serena was so into the story and she looked like a child looking for her present. Gently pulling her hand away, Lita shook her head, smiling.

"You can't see who's attached to my string, or even see it yourself, but I can tell you that it's someone you know." With a questioning glace from Serena, Lita smiled. The blonde would badger her until she said who it was, but Lita would not give in.

Looking at her left ring finger, she saw a thin, red string attached in a bow and leading away from her hand, connecting to Serena's left ring finger. How could her princess, a future queen, ever see her as more than a body guard and friend? This string might never be forever bound between the two.


	2. Chapter 2

The Red String

Chapter Two: Keeping Her Sane

Lita had spent the last three days with Serena and it had been wonderful. She hadn't seen her princess this happy for a long time. When she awoke the fourth morning, she found she was alone in Serena's room. Blinking, Lita looked at the time: 8:30 am. Knowing Serena didn't wake this early, she got up and went around the house.

"Serena?" After speaking, she heard a loud bang in the kitchen and fear arose in her. What if an enemy came and found where Serena lived?! She rushed down the stairs and stopped in the doorway, eyes wide in surprise. The kitchen was a mess; egg shells everywhere, flour pouring onto the floor, and a pan was on fire on the oven. This wasn't what had Lita floored. What had the Sailor floored was that Serena was trying to cook. Another trickle of fear filled Lita for both the safety of the house and her princess. "Serena?! What are you doing?!"

Serena, who was tending to the fire in the pan, stopped for a second before she turned to Lita, she cheeks flushed and eyes wide. There were tears in her eyes and it was obvious that she was trying to not cry. Lita smiled softly and came in to help. Taking the pan, she turned on the water and threw it in the sink, the water dousing the flames.

"No! The pancakes!" Serena said. Lita looked from her princess to the pan and, indeed, there were a few charred circles. Lita poked them with a fork, the middle oozing out. How in the world had Serena managed to completely burn the outside and keep the inside raw?! Looking back to Serena, who seemed to be about to cry, Lita just laughed.

"You really need to learn how to cook, Serena." Lita said with a smile in place. "Why don't you get me a clean pan and I'll show you how to make proper pancakes." Serena just nodded and got a clean pan as well as a new bowl. Quirking an eyebrow, Lita looked at Serena who flushed in embarrassment and looked to the side.

"Um…you might want to make new batter too. I think I did it wrong…" It was no surprise to Lita that Serena would request something like that but, curiosity getting the better of her, she peered into the large bowl that was next to the stove and her eyes went wide. The batter Serena had made was full of large lumps of flour, many pieces of egg shells, and something…red. Blood red.

Lita quickly turned towards Serena and scanned the other's body as best she could. After a moment of observation, Lita could see the other female's left hand wrapped in a towel. Going to her side quickly, Lita grabbed her princess' hand and took the cloth off. The cut wasn't too deep, but it still needed to be bandages properly. Holding back a growl, the taller female dragged Serena to the nearest bathroom which, thankfully, had what she needed to mend the cut.

"What in the world were you thinking?! How did this happen, Serena?!" Lita took a calming breath and grabbed the peroxide. "This might sting a bit, so hold still." Lita held the other's hand over the sink and poured the peroxide on the cut. She silently cursed as bubbles and foam appeared which meant that the wound had been opened for a while. Lita could feel Serena trying to pull away as she claimed it burned, but luckily Lita was much stronger than her.

"I was just trying to cut some veggies so I could make you an omelet, Lita! Honest!" She said in her whiney voice that Lita had heard all too often. Lita chuckled a bit and wiped the wound clean, put ointment on it, and finally wrapped up Serena's hand. Finally letting go, Lita sighed but smiled as Serena looked over the bandaging, as if to inspect it. Once the moon princess looked satisfied she walked back to the kitchen without a word. Lita shook her head, smile still in place, as she followed Serena back to the kitchen.

Once back in the kitchen, Lita grabbed two aprons and handed one to Serena (even though Serena was already covered in flour, milk and God only knew what else). Putting on her own apron, Lita had to chuckle. Her apron was too small, much like most clothing for the standard woman. It wasn't her fault her parents had given birth to an Amazon.

"Alright, Serena, I'll teach you how to make pancakes. It's not as hard as you think it is. First, the batter." Lita grabbed a bowl and put in the proper ingredients, then she showed Serena how to cook them. The problem was that Serena had the heat too high and didn't grease the pan, so they had stuck, but not anymore~

"Now let's eat! I'm starving!" Lita dished out two plates and set them on the table, then took her seat. Her eyes darted to the red string on her left hand and smiled. The color had gotten a little darker, though she didn't know why.

"What are you looking at?" Serena asked with a stuffed mouth. Lita chuckled a bit and began to eat as her parents had taught her when she was younger. She missed her parents greatly and doing things like take care of her princess made things a little easier on her behalf.

"Oh, nothing." Lita said with a smile as she ate her food. It was kind of odd. She could see the string connect the two of them,, but she never knew what would happen if Serena never figured it out.

"It's that string thingy again, isn't it?!" Serena grabbed Lita's left hand, observing it as it were some kind of new animal. The sudden contact caused Lita to blush and she gently pulled her hand back. Or, rather, tried to pull it back. She looked at Serena, sighing. Sometimes she was so dense.

Serena looked Lita's hand up, down, and all over. She hummed and hawed as she inspected the large hand. Then, the strangest thing happened. For a split second, Serena swore she could see the red string on her hand connected to Lita and this caused her to gasp and quickly pull back. Blinking, she looked at her hand then to Lita's, a worried look on her face.

"You alright, Serena?" Lita asked as she looked at her bewildered princess. Serena just looked at Lita and nodded. She sat in her chair and began to eat, not wanting to talk about what she had just seen. Why would she be connected to Lita? She liked guys! Well…Lita was kind of like a guy. She was tall, strong, protective…Serena blushed as she shook her head rapidly.

This was _not_ happening. Serena liked guys, not girls, and especially not Lita. End of story.


	3. Chapter 3

The Red String

Chapter Three: The Return

It was the first day of Summer break and the girls were going to have a great time! Well, two of them were. Ami had gotten an offer where her mother worked for a summer study program, Mina was at an acting/modeling camp and Rei had to work at the temple. It was just Lita and Serena, who had been getting closer since the 'incident' a couple of months ago. Lita supported Serena who seemed happier.

The pair had decided to go to the local festival and visit Rei that afternoon. Serena had to get a new kimono as her one from last year was too small. Her new one had a base ombre color starting at a light pink to the bottom which was a deeper pink. There were butterflies spread across the fabric but conglomerated at the edges of the sleeves. To Lita, Serena looked beautiful. Lita's kimono was green with cherry blossom creating random patterns.

As the day turned to evening, Lita came to Serena's house and knocked on the door. Fidgeting with her kimono, Lita had brought a gift for Serena for tonight. In the box was an elegant lotus blossom hair clip which would go wonderful with Serena's kimono. As the door opened, Lita smiled at the sight of her Moon Princess.

"You look stunning, Serena. Here." Lita held the box out and chuckled as Serena opened it and was surprised by the jump-hug she was given. Laughing, Lita hugged the other female. "I assume that means you like it?" She teasingly asked.

"Yes! Oh, Lita, it's beautiful! Is this an early birthday present?" Serena reached into the box and pulled out the hair accessory. Lita gently took it and put it in Serena's hair. Using her phone, Lita took a picture of the two of them together and showed Serena.

"You look even more beautiful." Alright, so maybe Lita was spreading it a little thick, but the Sailor wanted her Princess happy and loved and know she was being loved in that special way. Once Serena and Lita said bye to her parents, they headed for the festival. Serena was excited about the food that would be served and Lita wondered how in the world Serena kept her figure.

As the pair went about at the festival, Lita could tell that Serena was truly happy and not putting her emotional mask on so other's wouldn't worry but Lita could see through that mask every time. Shaking her head mentally, Lita looked at her Moon Princess and bit her lip. She wanted to reach out and grab Serena's hand, but how? After a moment of contemplation and the two of them walking towards the crowd, Lita had an idea. Reaching out, she grabbed the shorter's hand without looking down, just forward.

"Lita…?" Serena asked at the surprisingly warm hand held her's. She looked up at the Amazon with questions in her eyes and a slight blush on her features. In this light from the full moon, Lita looked beautiful and strong; something she had never thought could go into one.

"It's a crowded place, Serena. There are people who would snatch you away, the enemy or someone else. It wouldn't be so bad if the whole gang was here, but it's just you and me." Lita looked at Serena and smiled a bit. Serena seemed to be hanging on every word she said and Lita really liked it. She had all the attention of the one girl who could make her feel like she was special. As they walked down the street that was lined on both sides with game and food booths. The two held hands as Lita walked them down to the first of many food stands she was sure they would be stopping at.

Rei's Temple

Rei had just brought out a fresh set of charms and talisman out for the crowd. Rei's temple was always a popular during the yearly festivals no matter if they were in the same area as whatever festival was going on. She thought it was because of the charms and such that she hand made every week. Happily looking around, she hoped her friends would come and visit. While she held love for the temple and her job, she was still a teenage girl and wanted to have some fun.

After helping one customer, Rei took notice of a tall gentleman that looked just like…

"Darien?" She breathed out, eyes going wide. He was supposed to be in America; studying to do whatever the hell it was that had been so important that he broke it off with Serena. Getting up from behind her booth and telling her grandpa she would be right back, she walked to the gentleman and turned him around. "It is you."

SMACK! The sound of Rei smacking Darien hard across the face could be heard even over the hustle and bustle all around them. The raven haired beauty, turned in time to see Serena and Lita coming up the temple stairs and tried to hide Darien, but it was to no avail. Darien saw Serena and smiled a kind of half smirk as if knowing what was going to happen.

Ignoring the pain from the slap, Darien walked over to the two girls and bowed. For a split second it was as if time froze. Serena looked at Darien, Lita looked at Darien then Serena and Darien took both ladies in. "Hello, my sweet Princess. I've come to take you out, if Lita doesn't mind me taking you from her."

"I…I…" Serena's rolled to the back of her head and she fell limp to the ground but was caught by Lita. The Amazon narrowed her eyes and held Serena close. Picking her up princess style, Lita stood and almost growled at Darien

"So you leave all this time and now decide to come back? Why do you want to torture her? Don't you think that you've done enough?" Lita turned and began to walk off, wanting to get as far as she could without beating the snot out of Darien.

"You can't protect her forever, Lita! I know your secret!" Lita froze for one step then went on to carry Serena to her apartment. Once there, she laid Serena in her bed and brushed some stray blonde locks out of Serena's face.

"I'm always going to protect you, my Moon Princess." Leaning down, she kissed Serena very lightly on the lips then pulled her head back. The moon light made Serena look like the princess she truly was.


End file.
